The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to apparatus and methods for diagnostic medical imaging, such as Nuclear Medicine (NM) imaging.
In NM imaging, systems with multiple detectors or detector heads may be used to image a subject, such as to scan a region of interest. For example, the detectors may be positioned adjacent the subject to acquire NM data, which is used to generate a three-dimensional (3D) image of the subject.
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) systems may have moving detector heads, such as gamma detectors positioned to focus on a region of interest. For example, a number of heads may be moved (e.g., rotated) to different angular positions for acquiring image data. The acquired image data is then used to generate the 3D images.
Resolution of gamma detectors is a convolution of the detector resolution (mainly pixel size) and the collimator resolution. Collimator resolution degrades with the distance of the collimator from the subject. As a result of the configuration of these systems, including the detectors and collimators, the detector heads often have to be placed at a distance from the subject, for example to avoid collisions between detector heads as the heads are advanced toward a patient or other object to be imaged. Positioning of the detector heads as the detector heads are radially advanced may result in reduced image quality for detectors that are overly far away from a patient, and/or collisions between detectors as the detectors are positioned, and/or inconvenient lengths of set up time to position the detectors.